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• • •THE* • • 
rlRST BABY IN CAMP. 



A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE SCENES AND AD- 
VENTURES DURINCx THE PIONEER 
DAYS OF '49. 



GEORGE FRANCIS TRAIN.— STAGING IN EARLY I>AYS.^ 

A MAD, WILD RIDE. — THE PONY EXPRESS. — 

SOME OF THE OLD TIME DRIVERS. 



By Wm. p. BENNETT, Author of "The Sky-Sifter.' 



The fastest time made in Nevada by Stage, Pony Ex- 
press or Buckboard, 22 miles in 58 minutes. 



(Picture 22x28 accompanies this book.) 



f THE RANCHER PUBLISHING CO. 

Salt Lake City, Utah. 
1893. 

KAV 13 1093^ 



? 



Copyright, 1893, by Wm. P. BEr^NExr. 



m 



i" 



INDEX. 



Introduction, ^ 

The First Baby in Camp, 6 

George Francis Train— A Wild Experience— Light- 
ning Changes— A Mad, Wild Ride— A Grand Re- 
ception Misconstrued -Train's Lecture, " 9 

Staging in Early Days, 14 

Valentine's Rough Trip— Hard Road to Travel, 14 

Some Fast Trips, I'J' 

The Pony Express, 1" 

Buckboard Express Rivalry, 18 

Some of the Old Time Drivers, 19 

Stage Lines of the Early Days, 22 

A Terrific Dash Down the Sierras, .23 

Some Fast Trips Across the Continent, 25 

Crossing the Plains in '49, 26 

Over the Mountains, 31 



4 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 

Illustrated (see large colored picture): — 

1. Going Into Placerville in '49, 33 

2. Georgetown in '50, 36 

3. Gambling in Placerville, 38 

4. Sunday in the Miner's Cabin in '49, 40 

5. The Masacre at Murderer's Bar, '49, 41 

6. Saw the Elephant, 43 

7. A "Hoop-up" in Camp, 44 

8. The Little Joker in '49 45 

9. Mining on the Yuba, 46 

10. Major Downie Going into Downieville in '49,. . . .47 

11. The Spot Where Gold was First Found, 48 

12. Silas Haight's Famous Bear Fight 50 

13. The Baby, 7 

14. On the Plains in '49, ^ .52 

The Humboldt Desert, .54 

The Last Procession of The Argonauts, 57 

Stage Robberies, 05 

Fastest Pony Express Time, 66 

Choice Pictures, 70 



/ 



\ 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



two or three days and asked to be shown the nugget, some 
arriving from camps eight or ten miles distant. 

The baby brought luck with it, for on the day it was born 
Wilson made a big find in his claim. He struck a crevice 
that was piled full of coarse gold. He took out $3,000 in 
one pan. It was all in nuggets, the largest of which was 
worth over $300. 

The only other woman on Canyon Creek at the time of 
the first babv episode was Mrs. Bill Tibbits, a sister of Mrs. 
Wilson. Bill Wilson was a Mormon and went back to Salt 
Lake so well stocked with gold that he was able to afford 
the luxury of three wives. 

It is not probable, however, that any child born to him in 
Mormondom caused a tenth part of the excitement inci- 
dent to the birth of his first in the cabin on Canyon Creek. 
Even after the joke about the "nugget" became known 
many men dropped in to see the child on its own merits. 
The miners were proud to be able to say they had a baby 
in camp. 

The boys on Canyon Creek caused to be made for Mrs. 
Wilson a ring, which was a circle of small specimens u 
polished gold quartz linked together with pure gold of 
their own digging. 

FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 

In the good old days when '49ers 

Thought of little else than gold, 
'Twas then a woman in the camp 

They rarely did behold. 
It must not be surprising if. 

Indulging m a tramp, 
They did gaze with joy and wonder 

At the first babe in the camp. 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP, 



Here you see an honest fellow^ 

Excitement in his eyes, 
Gazing on the Httle darling 

As it for mama cries; 
Its little arms uplifted tells 

Its wants in plantive notes, 
While the mother, with smiling face. 

Upon her loved one dotes. 

'Tis a scene of joy and pleasure, 

A reminder of the past, 
To those honest, rustic fellows 

Who, from home and dear c^nes cast, 
Found a refuge where blessed nature 

Had kept for them in store 
Many a glorious fortune 

In the good old days of yore. 

The baby in the camp to them 

Was a source of much delight. 
It made them think of dear old home 

Ere from it they took their flight. 
In many a heart still lingers 

Impressions of that tramp. 
When the good old honest miner 

Saw the first babe in camp. 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. » 

GEORGE FRANCIS TRAIN. 

A WILD EXPERIENCE — THE WILDEST OP HIS LIFE. 

George Francis Train, whose name and fame have been 
spread over two continents and whose strange eccentricity 
has made him a character sought after in all sections of our 
country, as a lecturer, could draw the biggest house of any 
man upon the boards and as a sensationalist he had no 
equal. 

Train had received an invitation to lecture in Virginia 
City and on his way there he had to encounter the usual 
episode connected with stage drivmg over the Sierra Ne- 
vada mountains, but his experience was not so extended as 
was Horace Greeley's for Train had to travel from Reno to 
Virginia City, only, as the railroad was completed to Reno 
and the cars were running to that point. 

August 24, 1869, on the arrival oi the cars at Reno, W. P. 
Bennett, with a Wells, Fargo & Co. racing buckboard with 
two horses, and the Pacific Express Co. (Pony) with rider 
mounted in the saddle, were just about starting on one of 
their liveliest races for Virginia City when the famous 
George Francis Train, who had just arrived, rushed up to 
Bennett saying: 

"You're Mr. Bennett, and you're going to Virginia City, 
are you not?" 

"Yes, sir! right now. Talk quick for I must be off di- 
rectly." 

"My name is George Francis Train. I am to lecture at 
Virginia City to-night, and Mr. Latham telegraphed me 
that I could ride up with you, if you thought — " 

"But I can't. Damn if I'm going to let that pony beat me 
on account of George Francis Train or anybody else," 

"But I'm billed to—" 



10 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



"All right! Jump aboard, quick! Let 'em go!" 
And with a slap, dash and fierce jerk as the expiess bag 
was tossed onto the buckboard, away they went amid 
cheering yells from the excited crowd of spectators. There 
was nearly as much excitement at the start as there was at 
the finish, for it was a hot contest for superiority and every 
minute's delay seemed like a week to the drivers. Over 
the bridge across the Truchee they bounced out onto the 
Virginia road, George Francis holding fast to his seat and 
his breath at the same time. 

There was no time to think or joke 

On such a trip as that. 
Train, do not let your hold get broke 
And watch out for your hat. 

As they flew down the first slope or declevity south ol 
the bridge, Train's hat danced off, notwithstanding the 
warnmg already given him and Bennett impatiently drew 
up a moment and George recovered his hat. 

"That's all right this time," says Bennett, "but next time 
your hat stays behind." 

Poor Train was to be pitied; the flying gravel and sharp 
dodging seemed to be more than he could bear. Bennett 
wore a veil extending from the rim of his hat down over 
his face to protect it from the sharp pebbles and gravel 
spitefully thrown back from the heels of the flying mustangs 
while George Francis dodged and was blinded by the se- 
vere infliction until Bennett compasionately tore off a p'ece 
of his face-protector and gave it to him. 

He pitied the sorrows of poor old Train 

But he had to get there on time 
And of all the tricks considered vain 

To get in first was mine. 

Near HufFaker's Station, a small bridge over a muddy 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 11 



little creek was obstructed by a ten-mule team which was 
coming. Bennett promptly dodged the bridge and jumped 
the stream, the mud and water from heels and wheels 
spattering them finely. 

"Don't let go of anything. Hang on and don't be afraid," 
said Bennett. 

George Francis' eager attention to the general outlook 
was too fully occupied for any reply. 

LIGHTNING CH.\NGES. 

Six changes of horses were made on the trip, abou^ ^ 
twenty-two miles, each change occupying merely a few sec- 
onds, the fresh horses standing ready harnessed, with plenty 
of active men with quick hands attending to the matter, a 
man to each strao or buckle. In fact the buckboard would 
merely have come to a stand still before Bennett, grabbing 
the lines thrown to him, sang out, "let 'em go," and away 
they did go like a comet with a long dusty tail streaming 
out behind. 

The somewhat slower rush up the steep Geiger grade 
gave George a chance to collect his bewildered ideas, and 
his wind, and regain his speech. Never, in the world, had 
he ever experienced such 

A MAD, WILD RIDE. 

He felt nervously paralyzed and held onto his seat like grim 
death, especially after passing the Six Mile House and the 
Summit of the Grade. He owned up that he was some- 
what inclined to be frightened about that time for now they 
went tearing and plunging more furiously than ever along 
the level and downward grades approaching Virginia 
City. 



12 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



"Near the Sierra Nevada Mining Works, another one of 
those obstacles, in the form of a big hay team heavily laden, 
stood in the middle of the road, blockading the way com- 
pletely, and Bennett, knowing no such word as fail, at once 
plunged his firey team over the grade, down through sage 
brush and rocks and around up onto the road again, right 
side up and nobody hurt. Train's hair fairly stood on end. 
Heset his teeth together, nis eyes glared and his tongue 
was paralyzed. 

This was indeed an episode 
That would fore'er his memory load, 
And Bennett's name would linger till 
Death had made him cold and still. 

A GRAND RECEPTION MISCONSTRUED BY TRAIN. 

The flying buckboard was not long in dashing in on "C" 
Street, which was the principle street of the town. The 
sidewalks were densely crowded, the tops of the houses and 
the balconies ditto — the masses of humanity watching the 
race and yelling to their heart's content. Hats were thrown 
in the air and handkerchiefs waved on every side. George 
Francis felt much relieved and very glorious; he evidently 
considered that this was a grand, spontaneous, popular ova- 
tion to himself, personally, and most graciously and grace- 
fully did he bow and lift his hat to the admiring multitude 
■on every side; all that he could see lacking was a brass band 
playing "Hail to the Chief." With a sudden serge, they 
came to a sudden stand-still in front of Wells, Fargo & Co.'s 
office. When those wild mustangs were brought to a quick 
stand-still, they reared up on their hind legs and seemed to 
be disappointed at being brought to so sudden a halt. 

The race was over. Distance, 22 miles; time, one hour 
and ten minutes. 




THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 13 



When they had ahghted from the buckboard, George 
could not help wondering why nobody seemed to recognize 
him or rush forward to shake hands. 

This scene was only a repetition of those happening every 
day, and the racers were watched for with so much eager- 
ness that many of the spectators grew wildly frantic. 

It was now 15 o'clock, p.m. Popular excitement subsided, 
Wells, Fargo winning, and when somebody said, "That was 
George Francis Train on there with Bennett," people 
remembered that he was going to lecture at the Opera 
House. 

train's lecture. 

That evening George Francis Train lectured to a $215.00 
audience, the house being tolerably well filled. It was a 
rambling, entertaining sort of an address, vigorous in style, 
yet not giving much in the way of solid argument or impor- 
tant information. Everybody seemed to enjoy it, however, 
and declared they got their money's worth. The most in- 
teresting part of his lecture was his reference to the ride to 
Virginia City from Reno. He said he had traveled in Eu- 
rope, on the ocean and everywhere else, by the swiftest 
conveyances, and on top of and behind the fastest hoises 
or anything else that anybody had, but that buckboard, 
Bennett and his wild mustangs had more chain-lightning, 
snap and fierce reckless dash in them than anything he had 
ever experienced or ever cared to again. It was the liveli- 
est hour and ten minutes of his life. 



14 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMK.. 



STAGING IN EARLY DAYS. 



REMINISCENCES OF PERILOUS TRIPS ACROSS 
THE SIERRA NEVADAS. 

valentine's rough experience — OLD TIME STAGE DRIVERS 
— SOME FAST TRIPS — PONIES AND BUCKBOARDS. 

Those were the days, the good old days, 

When "knights of the whip" stood high; 
When men would cheer and ladies praise 
And children in surprise would gaze 

On the heroes drawing nigh. 
They were all monarchs in those times 
If they could handle stage coach lines. 

All old residents of Virginia City and San Francisco 
know that in early days of "Washoe" and. the Comstock 
lode some perilous trips were made by stage coaches 
across the Sierra Nevadas. On numerous occasions gieat 
hardships were endured by both drivers and passengers. 
It is not necessary to give the "rough trips" in detail, a 
few samples will be sufficient. 



VALENTINE'S ROUGH TRIP. 

In 1867 Mr. Valentine, then agent of Wells, Fargu &■ Co. 
at Virginia Chy, now Vice-president and General Manager 
of the company on the Pacific coast, crossed the moun- 
tains under peculiarly ardurous circumstances. Onorabout 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 15 



the night of February 21 a heavy snow storm set in at 
Virginia and it was reported to be snowing heavily in the 
main Sierra Nevadas. At 5 o'^clock on the morning of the 
22nd Mr. Valentine left Virginia for California by the Plac- 
erville route, on a two-horse sleigh with three companions, 
including the driver. They reached VanSickle's Station, 
two miles south of Genoa, at 5 o'clock p. m., having traveled 
thirty-three miles. Here they halted for the night, being at 
the foot of the Kmgsburg grade over the main Sierra Ne- 
vada range. 

HARD ROAD TO TRAVEL^ 

Next morning, with a smallarmy of assistants, they started 
to encounter the deeper snow and drifts of the mountain 
road. By hard pushing and shoveling they managed to 
get near Peterson's station, four miles, and returned to 
VanSickle's for the night. Early next morning they re- 
turned to Peterson's where they left the sleigh, and Valen- 
tine, with three companions, took to Norwegian snow shoes. 
By 2 o'clock p. M. they had crossed the eastern summit of 
the Sierra Nevadas, and at 7:30 in the evening they passed 
Friday's station, arriving at Billy Mack's place about 11 
o'clock, fourteen miles from VanSickle's. It is unnecessary 
to remark that Valentine, as well as his companions^ 
did some very good sleeping that night. Next morning 
they resumed their hard journey over the wild waste of 
snow from fifteen to twenty feet in depth. Owing to the 
lightness of the freshly fallen snow, it was found to be very 
difficult traveling, as the long snow shoes would sink sev- 
eral inches into the feathery mass instead of skimming 
along on the surface as on the snow that has settled and 
become compact. At noon they stopped for an hour at 
Yank's station, at the head of Lake Tahoe, for rest, and re- 



16 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



freshment, having- made six miles, one mile an hour, since 
6 o'clock, when they left Billy Mack's. 

They passed over the western summit of the Sierras 
about 5:30 p. M. and arrived safely but very tired at the 
hotel in Strawberry valley at i o'clock in the morning, hav- 
ing completely and appreciatively crossed the famous old 
Sierra Ncvadas; the last eighteen miles being accom- 
plished in eighteen hours amid a furious storm. 

The dismal nature of Valentine's trip may ^)e imagined 
when it is remembered that upon all sides lay a rugged 
wilderness, with nothing to be seen even in day light but 
rocks and forests and naught to be heaid but the wild howl- 
ing of the winds in the tops of the tall pines. 

Dismal scenes of rugged wildwood 
Extendmg o'er the drifted snow, 

Surprised the tourist on his journey 
As he traveled sure and slow. 

The snow at this time was about seven feet deep in the 
valleys, and on the mountains about level with the tops of 
the telegraph poles. 

On the fifth day of his trip, Valentine left Strawberry at 
6 o'clock in the morning on board of a "scow," being a con- 
glomerate sort of a craft suitable for navigating melting 
snow, water or liquid mud. This vehicle of novel construc- 
tion was propelled by six horses, driven by that famous 
whip, "Curly Dan." They reached Placervilleat 8 o'clock 
that evening, having traveled forty-nine miles, here ending 
the difficulties and dangers of Mr. Valentine's famous trip. 
From there down to P'olsom could only be at the worst, 
rainy, muddy and disagreeable. 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. IT 



SOME FAST TRIPS. 



Having given a sample of the rough trips without touch- 
ing upon those attended by loss of life, a few specimens of 
fast time will not be out of place. The first fast trip across 
the Sierras of which everybody has heard was in 1862, from 
Carson City to Placerville by the Pioneer stage line, Hank 
Monk driver, and Horace Greely passenger. The time 
made between the two points was twelve hours, distance 
one hundred and twelve miles. Another fast trip was made 
in 1864, from Virginia City to Sacramento. Charley Croall 
drove from Virginia to Yank's, Hank Monk thence to Straw- 
berry and Charley Watson to Placerville. Passengers left 
Virginia City at 12; to p. m. and taking the rail road at Fol- 
som, were landed in Sacramento at 11 a. m. the next day, 
distance 15S miles, time less than twelve hours. 

In October 1865 a fast trip was made between Virginia 
City and Folsom, by which passengers were landed at Sac- 
ramento in twelve hours and twenty-one mmutes. On this 
trip John Spaulding, afterwards promoted agent by Wells 
Fargo & Co., was driver from Virginia City to Strawberry, 
Wm. Taylor thence to Placerville and Jerry Cowder to Fol- 
som. Some good time was also made between Virginia 
City and Carson. July, 1864, Ned Hudson and John Spauld- 
ing on the seat, carrying mail, express, baggage and six 
passengers, made the distance of eighteen miles in sixty- 
three minutes, changing horses at Mound House and ex- 
press at Gold Hill and Silver City. They drove six horses 
and the time made was very fast, distance, load and stop- 
pages being considered. 



THE PONY EXPRESS. 

All old residents of the Pacific cost will remember the 



18 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



great Pony express across the plains in the early days, also 
the incident of a Sacramento lady placing a garland of 
flowers upon the first pony when he arrived in that city. 
Even in 1863 our latest news from the Atlantic seaboard 
came by pony. "Cockeyed Bob"" (Haslin) and other cele- 
brated riders of the plains are still greatfully remembered 
by reporters and many others on the Comstock. The 
swift rideis gathered news as they flew, and told us the 
movements of Indian tribes and of the latest pranks in 
Mormondom, for at that time the umbilical cord had not 
been severed by which we were attached to Utah. It was 
cut March 20, 186 1. 

In 1868 Wells, Fargo & Co. and the Pacific Express Co. 
ran ponies in lively opposition between Reno and Virginia 
City. Each company had twenty-four horses on the route, 
running twelve, with four riders at each trip, distance 
twenty-one miles. The first race was won by Wells, Fargo 
& Co., time, sixtj^-one and sixty-five minutes, respectively. 
In October, 1869, they had anothei- big race, Wells, Fargo 
& Co. winning. Time, fifty-eight and sixty-four minutes, 
respectively. 



BUCKBOARD EXPRESS RIVALRY. 

In 1869 light two-horse buckboard wagons were placed 
upon the route by Wells, Fargo & Co. for better conven- 
ience in carrying express matter, and there were some very 
exciting races between them and the Pacific ponies. One 
trip was made, W. P. Bennett driver, accompanied by the 
writer of this, in one hour and five minutes, beaiing the 
Pacific pony two minutes, and the time subsequently made 
by George Francis Train, five minutes. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The following pages contain some very interesting remi- 
niscences concerning life in the early days among the moun- 
tain fastnesses and the wild plains of the far west, a history 
of staging in the Sierras, inclucjing fast trips and fast time of 
stage, pony express and bnckboard, also perilous trips in 
snow and storm, w^ith a sketch of Hank Monk and all the 
famous old-time drivers on the Placerville and Henness 
Pass routes, gold mining in California in the days of '49, 
with many incidents and adventures, both grave and gay, 
illustrative of the life of the miner, and a hundred other 
things dear to the heart of every old Pioneer. 

These sketches are intended to more thoroughly explain 
the different scenes portrayed in the large colored engrav- 
ing entitled "The Pioneers' Ten Commandments," which 
accompanies this book. There is also a set of 200 other 
engravings illustrating historical incidents extending from 
1789 to 1893, which may be procured by addressing the au- 
thor. 

There are still for sale a few copies of "The Sky Sifter,'* 
a strange and thrilling tale of life among the Indians. Ad- 
<^'ess Wm. p. Bennett, 

Salt Lake City, Utah. 



the: first baby in camp. 



On the 25th day of December, 1849, on Canyon Creek, 
two miles from Georgetown, Placer county, California, the 
wife of William George Wilson gave birth to a twelve- 
pound boy baby. This was the first child born in the camp. 
Sjme miner of a jocular disposition at once started the 
story that Bill Wilson had found a twelve-pound nugget, 
the handsomest ever seen. The news of Bill's "big find" 
ran like wild fire up and down the canyon, where hundreds 
of men were at work. At once there was a grand rush to 
Bill Wilson's cabin. Every miner was anxious to see the 
twelve-pound lump. 

Bill "dropped on" the joke at once. Taking the men, a 
few at a time, he introduced them into the room where his 
living nugget lay and proudly exhibited it as the best and 
biggest find ever made on Canyon Creek. The joke took 
at once with the miners. As each squad came ouc of the 
cabin every man solemnly asserted that Bill's nugget was 
the "boss," the finest ever seen. All went away, up and 
down the creek, spreading the news of the wonderful 
nngget. The joke was so well kept that the rush to Bill 
Wilson's cabin continued all day and far into tlie night. 
Indeed, the first day did not end the rush. Men came for 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP, 19 



Five changes of horses were made on the route. Judge 
Richard Rising also made a similar trip from Reno to Vir- 
ginia City, on the buckboard, with Mr. Bennett in 1869, in 
one hour and seven minutes. These express companies 
ran in opposition from June, 1868, until December, 1869, 
during which time rhe Pacific only came in ahead once by 
merely a scratch. A race day between the rival compan- 
ies, whether by coaches, buckboards or ponies, was an oc- 
casion of great popular excitement, everybody gathering in 
from Gold Hill, Silver City and all around to witness it. 
The side walks were lined, telegraph poles climbed, bal- 
conies, awnings and house-tups crowded, and all sorts of 
bets were made, from a thousand dollars in gold coin to a 
bit drink or a two-bit cigar. 



SOME OF THE OLD TIME DRIVERS. 

Very few of the original stage drivers remain on the Com- 
stock. Two or three perhaps and scarcely half a dozen are 
to be found in all Nevada. "Baldy" Green, so called be- 
cause of a remarkable scarcity of hirsute thatch on the roof 
of his cranium, drove between Virginia City and Carson on 
the Overland and other routes in Nevada. "Baldy" is re- 
membered as an unfortunate among the drivers m the mat- 
ter of encounters with road agents. These gentry seemed 
to follow "Baldy" like bad luck. Let him go on whatever 
route he might, his coaches were so often halted and 
robbed that "Hand down the box, 'Baldy!' " became a 
standing joke on the Comstock. 

"Baldy" thus unwillingly made the acquaintance of "Rattle- 
snake Dick," Jack Davis and several other noted gentle- 
.men of the highway. Even when "Baldy" got away out in 



20 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



Idaho, they still found him and ordered him to "hand down 
the box" as usual, meaning Wells, Fargo & Co.'s treasure 
box, of course. 

Billy Wilson, an old driver and stage proprietor, came 
over from California in i860 and started a line of stages 
between Virginia City and Carson. Before coming over 
the mountains he owned a stage line between Nevada City 
and San Juan. 

"Big" John Littlefield drove out of Sacramento for years 
in the early days. Afterward he was on the Henness Pass 
route. He was a man who weighed about two hundred and 
fifty pounds. During the war he enlisted and was stationed 
at Fort Churchill, where he was known as Lietenant Little- 
field. He died at Gilroy, California, in 1872. 

Miles Nesbit, a driver on the Henness Pass road, was 
killed at Virginia City in 1866 by the runnmg away of his 
team. He was thrown from his seat on the coach as it 
whirled around onto "F" Street, landing on his head, and 
was taken up dead. 

"Curly Bill," William Gearhart, one ol the best and most 
favorably known of the Henness Pass drivers, is now en- 
gaged in the livery business in San Francisco. 

Billy Hodge, of the same route, is now in the Yosemite 
Valley. 

Cy Hawley killed himself at Lake Tahoe a few years 
ago. 

Johnny Burnett, also of the Henness, killed himself in 
Denver several years ago. 

"Smokey" is now in Reno. 

Ned Blair died at Virginia City. 

Hank Monk, the famous driver of Horace Greely, died at 
Caison in 1884. 

Pony King, of the Placerville route, died in Carson ten. 
years ago. 



THE FIKST BABY IN CAMP. 21 



Tom Stephens is in San Francisco, 

George Emory, also of the Henness, is driving on the 
Bodie road or at Carson. 

E. Douglass, called "Old Dug" for short drove for a time 
between Virginia City and Reno, also on the Virginia and 
Gold Hill Bus line. He was in Virginia or San Francisco 
at last accounts. 

Charley Watson, of the Placerville route, is somev\here in 
California. 
John Wilson, of the Henness, died in 1888 at Reno. 
Lige Downer, of the Placervlle, is somewhere in California. 
Frank Henderson, of the Hacerville, is now in Canada. 
Dye Tyrrell, of the Placerville, is in Colorado. He was 
for several years Wells, Fargo & Co.'s division agent at 
Denver. 
Charley Livermore, of the Henness, is in Idaho. 
Steve Hamon, who in the early days had a stage line be- 
tween Virginia and Washoe City, died at Elko, recently, of 
heart disease while seated on the box of his coach. 

|ini Dike, an old driver for Langton & Co.'s Express, 
between Virginia and Marysville, is now in California. 

"Bigelow" (Dubois), who drove for Langton & Co. between 
Virginia and Carson, and who also drove on the Henness, 
Placerville and Overland routes, is in Virginia or Carson. 
In the early days of California he drove between Oroville 
and Dogtown and between Sacramento and Marysville. 

Alex McShea vvas an Overland driver whose present 
whereabouts are unknown. 

"Jim Muggins," otherwise James L^mch, was a driver on 
Jim McCue's line over the Henness Pass route before the 
time of the Pacific Express. He died in Oregon twelve 
years ago. 

Ben Billings, who also drove for McCue, and Sam and 
Billy Russell, who owned the first line of stages between 



^2 TH'E FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



Virginia and Dayton, are living somewhere in California. 

"Dave Red," who drove out of Virginia on the Overland 
with "Baldy" Green, was drowned some years ago while 
taking a bath in a pond or reservoir in the neighborhood of 
Austm, Nevada. 

Charley Hainsworth, also an Overland driver, is now 
agent for Wells, Fargo & Co. on some route leading to 
Boise City, Idaho. 

Charley Stoddard, a Henness driver, who is rememoered 
as the one who upset his coach into the Truckee river, is 
now somewhere in the Atlantic States. 

The one black sheep is Dan Smith, who upset his coach 
at the foot of the Geiger grade, killing Mrs. Kruttschmitt. 
He was afterward convicted of mail robbery in Oregon and 
sent t J the penitentiary. 

Billy Blackmore, a noted old Henness driver, is now in 
San Francisco. 

VV. P. Bennett, for many years in Wells, Fargo & Co,'s 
employ as driver of stages, buckboards, express wagons, 
etc., is now employed at tne Yellow Jacket mine, Gold Hill. 

Owing to the nature of their occupation and their rov- 
ing unsetded life, it is a difficult matter to keep track of 
stage drivers. They move from one place to another on 
the same line. A few more of the old-time drivers might 
perhaps be searched out, but the foregoing are about all of 
those who are well remembered by the people of Virginia, 
San Francisco and sections generally 



STAGE LINES OF THE EARLY DAYS. 

Among the stage lines in operation in the eaily days may 
be mentioned Langton & Co.; Pioneer Express, in^m Vir- 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 23 



ginia City to Downieville, San Juan and Marysville, of 
which J. S. Albro was the Virginia agent; James McCue's 
line by wav of Henness Pass; Wells, Fargo & Co., or the 
Pioneer Stage line, and the California Stage Co.'s lines by 
the Placerville and Henness Pass routes, and several small 
transient lines running and branching out in various direc- 
tions. 

Lloyd Rawlings, who was the Virginia agent of the Cal- 
ifornia stage line for some years, is now in Mexico. 

Ike iMooney, at first driver and afterwards agent for Lang- 
ton's Express, is in Sierra county, California, and C. C. 
Cooper, who was also agent of the same line for some years 
is in California. 

Geo. A. Gray, who was Agent and driver for some of the 
small lines, died at Virginia about ten years ago. 

"Big Jake," who was a driver on the Henness Pass road 
in the early days, and a well known sport, is somewhere in 
California. 



A TERRIFIC DASH DOA\T^ THE SIERRAS. 

The trip on which Hank Monk, the famous stage driver of 
the Sierras, drove Horace Greely into Placerville has often 
been spoken of and made Monk famous, but bis greatest 
and most dangerous feat was a night dash down the eastern 
slope of the Sierras. It was in 1862, and was really a runa- 
way of the stage team, though nune of the passengers were 
aware of the fact. The team ran from the Summit down to 
Van Sickle's Station, a distance of five and one-half miles 
which distance was made in sixteen minutes. Hank left 
the Summit all right. The road was frozen and icy, and an 



24 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



iron shoe was placed under one of the wheels of the coach, 
as the brake would have been of little use. Thus all seemed 
safe in the start. However, the coach had proceeded only 
a little way down the mountain before the iron shoe slipped 
nut from under the wheel. At once the coach crowded 
down upon the horses, and this so frightened them that 
they ran away. 

W. P. Bennett, of Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express, was on 
the driver's seat with Monk and fully understood the peril 
of the situation. It was impossible for Monk to h )ld the 
team or to bring tne frightened animals to a halt. All he 
could do was to guide the runaways round the curves of the 
road, and soon he no longer had strength in his hands to 
do that. He told Mr. Bennett he could no longer guide the 
team and they must just let the horses go and trust to 
luck. 

At every bend in the road they expected to be hurled 
down the side of the mountain and be dashed to pieces on 
the rocks hundreds of feet below. However, the horses 
had been so often driven over the road that, frightened as 
they were, they instinctively kept in the right track and 
at last the coach drew up all safe and sound at Van 
Sickle's. 

In giving Horace Greely his rapid drive down the other 
side of the mountain to Placerville there was no danger, as 
Monk had full command (jf his team all the way. This dash, 
however, was a life and death affair every foot of the way, 
and death seemed c )nstaiitly on the point of winning the 
game . 

{)n the wild ride down the mountain, a funny incident 
occurrea. One of the passengers was Dan Sheehan, now of 
Gold Hill. Mr. Sheehan had spent all his life at sea, and 
for many years had been second mate of various sailing 
vessels. He was on his first trip in a wheeled craft since 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 25 



his boyhood. Before leaving San Francisco, he had lost 
much sleep and was greatly fatigued by the first part of the 
journey. On the Summit he had fallen into a deep sleep, 
which continued all the way down the mountain. Without 
waking, he became consciuus of a great commotion and of 
flying along with great rapidity. In his dreams, Sheehan 
thought himself aboard a vessel on a lee shore in a tremen- 
dous storm. First he began to take soundings, and called 
out, "Fi-i-ve and a ha-alf! Fi-ive and a quarter! Fi-ive!" 
Then, seeming to be greatly alarmed, he sung out, "Star- 
board watch on deck; take in sail! Three men take in the 
mizzen royal, three men take in the main foiesail; three 
men take m the mam royal; seven men take in the main 
topsail." By this time the coach was on level ground, near 
Van Sickle's and its speed was slackened. Some joker 
then struck a match and held it under the sleeping sailor's 
nose. "Hard a starboard!" cried he, "I smell hell 
ahead!" 

On stopping at Van Sickle's to change coaches and 
horses, the sailor man was so excited and bewildered that 
he tumbled ashore and went into the station forgetting, and 
leaving behmd, a young lady he had in charge. He was so 
glad to make port and get ashore that he forgot all about 
his fellow passengers. For half an hour he had the coach 
mixed up with a ship. 



SOME FAST TRIPS. 

ACROSS THE CONTINENT BY PONY, STAGE AND RAILROAD — 
A LIVELY RECORD. 

In this age of fast travel, when the ocean steamer is sur- 



26 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



prising the world every little while, and the iron horse is 
knocking distance into the shade, we are inclined to ask 
ourselves the question, how did the people of forty years 
ago get along at all? In looking up some of the records of 
fast time on the Pacific coast way back in the 50's, we have 
come to the conclusion that some credit for fast time should 
be given to the good old stage driver, who in sunshine and 
storm, thiough snow and dust, by night and by day, drove 
through the mountain passes and over their summits, oft 
through blinding snow drifts when the stoutest hearts were 
made to waver, and again when old Sol would pour down 
his rays with a force to make one fear that they were near- 
ing the infernal regions. Interesting narratives could be 
related by some of the old "Knights of the Whip," as they 
were termed in early days. 

The distance across the great American Continent, be- 
tween New York and San Francisco, is generally stated at 
about three thousand miles. The problem in the early days 
of the California gold discovery and consequent rush of im- 
migration was how to travel, or be transported, across or 
around that intervening space in the shortest time and 
easiest manner. Many were longer going overland than 
others who came the seventeen thousand miles around 
Cape Horn. The hardships encountered by those who 
made the overland trip are well recorded in the following 
lines: 

CROSSING THE PLAINS ]N "■49." 

In years long since past, when this land of my dreams 
Was gained through the hardships of crossing the plains, 
When none but the boldest and most daring heart 
E'er thought for a moment of taking a part 
In the trials and troubles which then did beset 



THE FIRST BABY IX CAMP. 



Emigrants striving o'er this journey to get. 

Wiien danger and suffering ever was rife, 

And many brave fellows had given their life 

To the unerring aim cf the savage that lay 

Awaiting the victims who chanced in his way. 

His knife and his tomahawk seldom at rest, 

.Made those tribes of the forest a terrible pest; 

And none suffered more at their hands, for a time, 

Than the old pioneers of the year Fv.rt\-nine. 

Many yet live who can most truly relate 

The saddened misfortune and terrible fate 

Of many com'panions whose lifeless lemains 

Lie buried far off on the de >olate plains. 

And maiiy's the tear that in vain has been shed, 

In hopes that some loved one would safely be led 

Through the fierce blindmg storm, so ')itter and cold, 

To the land fro,m which came the promise of gold. 

But the demon of death, grim visaged and cold, 

Was sure of his victim, and called to his fold 

Many brave spirits which in Heaven now shine, 

Wh > died on the plains in tne year Forty-nine. 

'Twas late in December, of that memorable year, 

A. small band set oft" for the western frontier; 

Their train was well stocked, as from home they departed, 

No fears fi'lled their bosoms, so baldly tliey started; 

No fear of the terrible suffering in stoie 

For that little band as they crossed the plains o'er. 

Used to the forest and life in the wildwood, 

In which they had lived from the days of their childhood, 

They feared not the danger thai ever was near 

Those crossing the plains at that time o' the year. 

Two weeks had but passed since their journey begun. 

And many long miles were between them and home. 

Siill each one was happy and joyful the while, 



.li 



28 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



For gjod fortune had not ceased upon them to smile. 

No accident happened to fil! them with sorrow, 

No fears made them dread the coming to-morrow. 

As at night 'round their blazing camp fiies they sat, 

Engaged in a pleasant and sociable chat, 

Rehearsing the most daring deeds of their life, 

For that little band were not strangers to strife. 

They could hear, now and then, a fierce hungry cry 

Of a stray prowling wolf that was passing near by. 

And oft in the darkness and stillness of night. 

When wrapped in their blankets so snug and so tight. 

The unwelcome sound of a rifle would tell 

Tliat some cunning savage had tracked ihem too well. 

And niany's the skirmish tliey had with the foe 

While wading knee deep through the fierce driftmg snow 

Those hearts, that at first were so merry and glad, 

Were beginning now to grow weary and sad. 

The journey was long and the vyeather severe, 

And thoughts of starvation now filled them with fear. 

Supplies near exhausted, no prospects ahead 

By whirh their fond hopes of success might be fed. 

And some of those brave hearts ne'er strangers to fear. 

Were hanging their heads in seeming dispa r; 

Made willing by hunger and cold to be left 

To perish alone by the side of a drift. 

And among them was one whose features and form 

Told plainly she never could weather the storm. 

One night as the little band pitched camp to rest, 

Her spirit was called to the land of the blest. 

They dug her a grave 'neath a tall forest pine. 

And there she has slept since the year Forty-nine. 

The storm had soon ceased and tne sun brightly rose 

And shone on the grave where in death did repose 

The first fair victim who at eve used to cheer 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 29 



That wandering- band with some favorite air. 

That sweet loving voice they would ne'er hear again, 

Twas hushed in the stillness far out on the plain. 

At last the bright land of their hopes did appear, 

And as they crossed over its welcome frontier, 

What joy filled their hearts as they knelt down in prayer 

And thanked the Almighty for guiding them there. 

For when daik despair had baffled all hope, 

And struggles seemed vain in those woods so remote. 

Recast o'er the scene a bright halo of light, 

And shielded them oft in the terrible fight. 

All those old pioneers who should chance to peruse 

These few simple lines from the pen of the muse, 

I ask thee in truth if the scenes I portray 

Are not truthfiil scenes of that early day; 

And if emigiants had not a terrible time 

Crossing over the plains in the year Forty-nine. 

The demand for speedier travel, transportation and mail 
facilities became a naturally pressing lesult, and the month 
or two occupied in transit by way of Panama or Nicaragua 
was considered inadequate. Railroad communication from 
the east to the Missouri river was alieady progiessing and 
speedily established, and the overland stage line and pony 
express soon distanced the Isthmus route. 
_ The trans-continental railroad subsequently reduced the 
time to about one week, and the occupation of the stages 
and ponies was gone. The pony express made it in nine 
dayi,, before the telegiaph i educed it to nine or ten sec- 
onds. 

But a record of some of the fast time made in trips across 
the continent in those early days, considering the innumer- 
able and extensive difficulties that had to be encountered, 
furnishing matter as it does f^^r a most interesting book for 



30 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP, 



the readers of the present day. The pony and stage sta- 
tions were established at the most convenient and practi- 
cable points and distances, and the very best horses obtain- 
able were brought into service. The roads were new and 
the numerous rivers and creeks had to be crossed by ford- 
ing, swimming or in scows, on rafts or other primitive ar- 
rangements before regular bridges could be constructed. 
Hostile Indians was not the least one of the troubles tu be 
encountered, and their interference with the progress of the 
emigrant in his long and wearisome journey was at times 
almost unbearable. Considering all the difficulties which 
had to be surmounted in making the numerous connections, 
the success and good time made by the pony express and 
the stage and railroad combination from St. Louis, Mo., to 
Folsom, California, was really wonderful, even as compared, 
with the through railroad transit of the present day. In 
1861 the tup was made from New York to San Francisco 
in nine days, or two hundred and sixteen hours — over 
thirteen miles per hour. In 1862 it was made m seven 
days or 168 hours— over seventeen miles per hour. Ben. 
Holliday's trip in 1862 from San Francisco to New York was 
made in ten days or 240 hours — 123^ miles per hour. In 
1864, Messrs. Skae and Lent made a trip from Virginia City 
to Sacramento, 158 miles, in twelves hours and twenty min- 
utes, carried by the Pioneer Stage Company. In 1865. 
Louis McLane and daughter made the trip from San Fran- 
cisco to New York, by stoamboat, stage and railroad, 
across the continent in eight days, or 192 hours- over 
fifteen miles per hour— distance, 3, 000 miles. 

In 1875, the same trip was mane by rail in seven days, or 
168 hours — nearly eighteen miles per hour. 

In .1889, it was made by rail in five days, or 120 hours — 
twenty-five miles per hour. 

In 1890, it was made by rail in about four. and. one-half 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP, 31 



days, or at the rate of twenty-seven miles per hour. 



OVER THE MOUNTAINS. 

It is in the fast trips acruss the Sierra mountains, that the 
old "Knights of the Whip," those who are still clinging to 
th's mundame sphere, love to talk about and ponder over, 
and why sho'ild they not do so, for those were days in 
which men's souls were tried and their physical abilitiets 
severely tested. Some of thos^e fast trips which are re- 
corded in the early history of California and Nevada, have 
caused many a mind to wonder how it was possible for any 
mortal handling the lines of a six in-hand, to, I might 
say, almost fly down the steep and rocky canyons of the 
Sierras without being dashed into eternity. But those driv- 
ers were men of great nerve, the occasion required it, and 
no timid driver was ever sought after by those men who 
were building up this great western empire. 

The ruling spirits m those days, the Hollidays, the Mc- 
Lanes, the Lents, the Skaes, the Stanfords and the Crock- 
ers were men who could not stop at any obstacle. Favored 
by the Almighty with a spirit of enterprise and the oppor- 
tunities at hand for the carrying of it out, they proved 
themselves the right men in the right place, and the people 
of the Pacific coast today owe to these men a debt of grati' 
tude for laying the foundation of this great and prosperous 
section of our country. Speaking of fast trips across the 
Sierra Nevadas, might be mentioned one made by Ben Holli- 
day and Chas.McLane in 1862. Starting from Folsom, Cali- 
forjiia, they reached Carson City, Nevada, 122 miles, in ten. 
andone-half hours, including stoppages — g}4, hours traveling 
time. When we consider the nature of the country over 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



which they had to ride, the steep grades and poorly made 
roads, we are compelled to admit that Mr. Wm. P. Bennett, 
who drove the stage on that occasion, was no amateur in 
the business. 

One of the must exciting trips in the Hne of staging oVer 
the Sierra Nevada mountains hi the early days, was the one 
which Charles Crocker and Wm. Hamilton made from 
Sacramento to Virginia City in 1864. They were represent- 
ing the California Stage Company and were doing every- 
thing that money and brains could accomplish to distance 
the record of Wells, Fargo & Co. iMoney was no object at 
all and the very finest of stock was secured that the great 
end of fast time might be accomplished. Starting from Sac- 
ramento, the two set out on their tedious journey over the 
mountains, changing horses every twelve miles. "Get there 
on time" was the standing order of the company and they 
did get there about five minutes ahead of Wells, Fargo's 
time, but at a cost of many thousand dolla rs for some twelve 
of their fine horses were put hors de combat— unfit for fut- 
ure use. I would here state that the time made was 12 
hour and 18 minutes for 158 miles, but when we consider 
the difference in distance of railroad travel of each cumpany, 
we find that Wells, Fargo's time was not beaten. 

In 1869 there were lively times upon the road from Reno 
to Virginia City, for at that time rival express companies 
existed, and horse fiesh was by no means spared by those 
companies who were anxious to out-run each other, and go 
down into history with a world-surprising record. 

The distance over this road from Reno to Virginia City 
was twenty-two miles, and the quickest time made by the 
.ponies, under saddle, was fifty-eight minutes. The time 
made by a two-horse buckboard was sixty-five minutes. 
This time, considering the grade, is unprecedented. The 
latter pait, or home stretch, of this wild racing was up and 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 33 



over the steep Geiger Grade, from Steamboat Valley about 
ten miles, into Virginia City, the summit of the grade being 
over 2,000 feet above the valley. 

In all such contests for high speed pressure racing, plenty 
of good horses were provided, regardless of expense, and 
the relays were frequent, but it required very active work 
and keen watchfullness on the part of the station men, rid- 
ers and drivers. Faster fme is seldom heard of or recorded 
in history. 



GOING INTO PLACERVILLE IN '49. 
(see picture no. 1.) 

Placerville, known as "Hangtovvn" in the "days of '49"' 
was the first <>1 the mining camps reached by these who 
came to Calif rnia across the plains. All hailed old "Hang- 
town" with jcy, fcr on reaching that place they felt that the 
thirst, alkali desert, Indian murderers -and all the other 
terrors of the overland wilds had been left behmd. At 
Placerville were found some wonderfully rich diggings, and 
there the emigrant, greedy for gold, saw f^r the first 
time in his life mines of the yellow metal. They rush in 
like wild men, and indeed they are men wild with hunger 
for gold. Each man expects it will be his luck to find in 
some secret nook in the mountains a spoc where he will 
take out gold by the pound. Such has been his dream 
during all ihe long weary days and nights on the plains.. 

Of course, among the new arrivals in the camp are 
greedy fellows ready to rush in, stake out and claim all the 
mining ground in sight, but all such meet with a rebuff' in 
the very start. Conspiciously posted up about the dig 
gings they see notices in large letters reading: "No. 



'^"i THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



man shall hold more than one claim." All must 
submit to this, /or it is the law of the camp, and there 
are plenty of revolvers ready to sustain the law. All at 
work in the mines are law abiding men. The laws are not 
many. All the laws of the place may easily be rolled up 
in a small wad and fired into a man from the muzzle of a 
revolver. Every miner in the camp is a good interpreter of 
the law and i:^ sound in regard to the gospel of the dig- 
gings. 

The name "Hangtown^' was given to the camp because 
of the many men hanged there m the early days by order 
of the court of "Judge Lynch." An oak tree that stood 
where Coloma street now runs, often bore "other green 
fruit" than acorns in the days of '49. Many a desperado 
then "danced in the air." At one time this oak was as well 
known and as much dreaded by roughs as was the famous 
Cottonwood tree on Cherry Creek, Denver, Colorado. 

In the spring of 1850, Placer ville grew like a mush- 
room. Stores, dwellings, hotels, saloons and gam- 
bling dens appeared as if by magic. Scores of 
buildings were seen going up in all directions at the 
same moment and tents dotted all the suburbs. Gam- 
ble»^s and sharpers of all kinds flocked to the town to meet 
the long emigrant trams that came rolling in across the 
plains. Bands of music were playing in all the big gambling 
houses and leading saloons, and the town was at fever-heat, 
both day and night 

Emigrants, on their first arrival in the place, felt as though 
they had landed in a genuine "Vanity Fair," the town being 
constantly in a state of bewildering uproar. Men were 
shouting out all manner of offers or telling of wonderful at- 
tractions on every street and corner. There seemed no end 
of wealth flying about. On Sundays, hundreds of miners 
came up from the river and down from the creeks and 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 35 



gulches and then the town was a veritable pandemonium. 
Among the miners, Sunday was the great day for selling 
gold dust, and buying provisions and other supplies; also 
for gambling, drinking and fighting. It was, besides, the 
day for getting news from all surrounding and outlying 
camps, and even from distant parts of the country. Won- 
derful were the stories told of big strikes made in various 
directions. There were reports of mountains on the sides 
of which chunks of gold like boulders had been seen stick- 
ing out of the ground; and of lakes whose shores were com- 
posed of golden sands. 

Many a miner deserted diggings that were paying him 
an ounce a day to go on a wild-goose chase at the time of 
the "Gold Lake excitement," and there were many other 
equally wild rushes. Being wholly ignorant of the possibil- 
ities of the gold fields of the Sierras, men were in the 
early days ready to give credit to almost any story that was 
told. Mountains having in their sides great ribs of gold, 
did not seem to them impossible, for the majority of miners 
firmly believe that sooner or later a place would be found 
where great lumps of pure gold would be seen lying about 
on the surface of the ground. This place was always sup- 
posed to be situated somewhere high in the wilds of the 
mountains. 

Such stories told to gold-greedy emigrants, who arrived 
in the country barefoot, ragged and "dead broke," set 
them wild. They were ready to seH horses, oxen, wagons 
and all else for a song, and rush away to the new digging 
where they could gather gold dust by the pound, and nug- 
gets by the peck. 

The main emigrant road over the Sierras forked at Slip- 
pery Ford, above Strawberry, one branch going to "Hang- 
town" and the other to Georgetown. Many men working in 
the mines lower down came up to those two towns to meet 



36 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP 



friends expected in across the plains on purpose to guaid 
and protect them from the swindlers lying in wait at these 
notorious advance posts to rob them of their property. 
The mterference of these honest miners with the schemes 
of the thieves and swindlers not unfrequently resulted in 
giving the incoming immigrants their first view of a leal 
red-hot pistol fight, or a genuine, well-conducted "neck-tie 
party." 

Placerville is now a quiet and beautiful little town as is 
to be found in the mountains. It is embowered in orchards 
and vineyards, and in it peaceful and industrious people 
make their homes. In passing along its pleasant streets 
today, it is difficult to realize the wild and fearful scenes 
enacted there only a few years ago. 



GEORGETOWN IN '50. (see picture no. 2.) 

RAPID GROWTH OF THE TOWN— STREET SCENES — A B.VLL IN 
THE DIGcflNGS, 

Geoigetown contained only six cabins in the spring of 
1849, t)Ut in the spiing of 1850 there v\as a regular building 
mania. Stores, dwellings, saloons and cabins seemed to 
spring out of the ground in a single night. On all sides 
were heard the suunds of the hammer and the saw. All 
who wished to build, staked out and helped themselves to 
whatever g'round they v\ anted, as for a time building lots 
were to be had without money and without price. 

Many began business in the open air without waiting to 
build. 

The biggest saloon in the town was in a tent. The tent 
was almost as large as an ordinary circus canvas. In this 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 37 



great tent no fewer than eight gambling tables were run- 
ning at the same time and two bands of music were in full 
blast. 

Besides the big tent, there were in the town several other 
places in which faro games were running both day and 
night. In addition to all these games, three-card Monte, 
poker, thimble-rig, the strap game and all manner of 
other games were to be seen in progress in the streets. 
Every big pine stump in the main street was utilized as a 
gambling table. 

Sunday was the day when all the games were liveliest, 
as then the miners came in from all the gulches with big 
buckskin bags filled with gold dust, ounces of which they 
staked on a single card. In the midst of all the drinking, 
gambling and fighting an itinerant preacher, mounted upon 
a stump was often to be seen holding forth, fighting the 
devil in his very den. Though these preachers soundly 
lashed their hearers right and left, they were not only re- 
spectfully listened to, but were also very liberally re- 
warded. When the hat was passed around it did not be- 
come a receptacle of smooth dimes, rusty coppers and old 
buttons, as is often the case in more settled and civilized 
communities in these degenerate days; on the contrary, the 
hat was well loaded down with gold and silver, not a few 
miners throwing in it "chispas" worth $5 and $10, and now 
and agam a nugget of an ounce or two was dropped into 
the preacher's "grab-bag." 

FIRST APPEARANCE OF JUDGE LYNCH. 

In the autumn of 1850, Georgetown had its first hanging. 
It was an affair of the people. John Williams, a miner from 
Australia, shot and killed his wife in a fit of jealousy It 
was a very cold-blooded affair. News of the murder spread 
rapidly. Soon there was heard up and down the river a 



38 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



loud and peculiar whooping. It was the gathering signal 
of the miners. Yell answered yell, echoing far up and down 
among the mountains. It was a call that all were bound to 
obey. In a short time four or five hundred miners had col- 
lected. They marched in a body to Georgetown and de- 
manded Williams of the sheriff. The officer refused to give 
up his prisoner. The miners then cut down two or three 
young pines aiid of the trunks constructed a battering ram. 
In less than ten minutes the jail was demolished, 

When the citizens had secured the murderer, they placed 
a rope about his neck and led him to a big pine tree. The 
end of the rope was thrown over a convenient limb, when 
a mule was brought and Williams hoisted upon the animal's 
back. There was on the back of the mule a Mexican pack- 
saddle. Williams was told to kneel on the saddle and 
make his peace with God. When he had finished his 
prayer,the murderer was ordered to stand up. He obeyed, 
and when he was on his feet some one gave the mule a 
sharp cut with a whip. The animal gave a bound and the 
wife-murderer was left dangling in the air. He fell about 
the regulation distance and in four or five minutes life was 
extinct. Having executed this piece of summary justice, 
the miners immediately dispersed and resumed work in 
their several claims, leaving behind them a very quiet town. 



GAMBLING IN PLACERVILLE. 

(see picture no. '6.) 

No, not all were rugged miners, 
In the noted days of yore, 

When the famed banks of Yuba 
For gold men did explore. 

There was found a class of people 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 39 

Who wore fine clothes, and such 
A hatred had lor labor 

That a pick they'd never touch. 
Those men Hved a life of pleasure, 

They gambled day and night. 
They were always quiet and sober 

And ne'er provoked a fight; 
Still the demon dwelt within them 

And provoked, danger then was near, 
For gamblers in those early days 

Knew no such word as fear. 

Good old Placerville was noted 

For the free and easy way. 
Some "old boys" their time devoted 

To make the "diggins" pay. 
Little used to manual labor, 
They were all wide awake, 
The cards they well could shuffle 

And the dice could nicely shake. 
One glance at this noted picture 

Shows the gamblers all arrayed 
In garments the most stylish, 

By some custom tailor made. 

See the plain and honest miner, 

Standing by in deep surpnse,' 

Watching every single jesture ' 

Of the well dressed "boys." 
He, perhaps, has lost his money 

Betting on the jack or four, 
And he leaves the quarters scowling. 

His feelmgs they are sore. 
For good luck it went against him 
And he felt it was a "bust " 



40 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 

And he went his way lamenting 
The loss of all his dust. 

V Temptation oft would urge them, 

To try their luck in chance, 
And to the treacherous card table 

They would slowly then advance. 
You could see it in their manner 

That they felt out of place, 
For the thoughts of home and loved ones 

In their bosoms they could trace. 

In the doorway stands a mother 

Gazing in upon the crowd, 
And perhaps it is her husband 

She hears talking now so loud; 
By her side her little offspring 

Calling to his pa to come. 
Such scenes as this, dear reader. 

Many a woman's bosom wrung. 

Ah! those pioneers were generous, 

They were God's noblest work; 
They reared from out a wilderness 

A country which now shows forth 
As the grandest and the richest 

Beneath the glorious sun. 
Yes, and all through toil and valor 

Were those enduring blessings won. 



SUNDAY IN THE MINER'S CABIN. 

(see picture no. 4.) 

Sunday was not a day of rest in the mines, though a day 
of cessation from the toil of mining. Sunday was the day for 
attending to all the small jobs of work and household and 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 41 



Other duties left to care for themselves during the week. 
It was a day of washing, mending, bread-baking and letter- 
writing. On that day were forced upon the miner recol- 
lections of the domestic arts which he had seen practiced 
in his3^outh — in the days when he thought his old mother 
was a little *'cranky" when she declared that "a woman's 
work is never done." Now he sees how disagreeable was 
much of that woik, as, bending over his wash-tub, he drops 
a soapy tear at the thimght of his old mother still toiling 
slavishly about the old double-log cabin back in "Pike Coun- 
ty," or some other region in the States east of the Rockies. 

While one man is fuming and sputtering over the wash- 
tub, another penitent sinner, who in times of old thought 
the work of woman mere play, is bunglingly patching the 
seat of his unmentionables with a piece of "self-rising" flour 
sack. He sighs as he thinks of the little woman away 
down East who was wont, in times past, to gather up his 
"old duds" and put in the "stitch in time"— he sighs, for 
he now remembers that ne never once thought to thank 
her for her pains; he will have a better appreciation of 
woman's work when he gets home. Mayhap, however, 
he never reached home— his bones may have been left to 
bleach in some wild canyon. Who knows? 

While some are engaged in these and similar domestic 
occupations, others aie writing letteis heme, and perhaps 
two or more are amusii.g themselves at a game of bean- 
poker. Some one will presently go to the post office and 
on his return, if a steamer has just got in, there will be a 
good time at reading home papers and letters. 



THE MASSACRE AT MURDERERS' BAR. 

(see picture no, 5.) 
A memorable affair iii the early history of gold mining in 



42 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



California was the massacre of white miners at Murderers* 
Bar, below Coloma, on the South Fork of the American 
river, in October, 1849. There were twenty-three men at 
work on the bar, eighteen of whom were killed on the spot 
and one was so badly wounded that he survived but a short 
time. The Indians in overwhelming numbers boldly made 
their appearance in broad daylight. They were armed 
with bows and arrows, also carried spears, or lances, on the 
heads of which were fixed sharp points of flint or obsidian, 
similar to those on their arrows, but much longer and 
broader. The Indians made a sudden rush around a rocky 
point while the men were at work, and getting between 
them and the camp where their arms were stored, killed, 
in a few minutes, all except four men on the opposite side 
of the river. These men were operatmg in the bottom of 
the river by means of an India rubber diving dress or 
submarine armor. At the time the Indians made their rush^ 
one of the four men was in the diving dress down under 
water working in a crevice, while the others were above» 
pumping air down to him. The men above signalled the 
diver to come up. As he rose to the surface in his armor 
and turned his head with its great glass eyes toward the 
opposite shore, the Indians caught sight of him. At the 
same moment, a jackass that was tied in a clump of bushes 
began braying. At sight of the frightful specter that came 
up out of the bed of the river, and on hearing the awful 
whoops it was supposed to be uttering, a howl of terror 
arose among the Indians and all fled precipitately from the 
spot. Not a gun, knife, blanket or single piece of property 
of any kind was taken by the savages. When the big-eyed 
monster came up out of the water, all turned tail and fled 
in dismay. The Indians evidently believed that what they 
saw was some mighty avenging water devil that was about to 
charge into their midst, as not one of the tribe was ever 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 43 



again seen on the bar. Even as late as 1861, no Digger 
Indians could be induced to go near that part of the river 
in which the big-eyed devil was supposed to dwell. 



SAW THE ELEPHANT. 

(SE£ PICTURE NO. 6.) 

The grizzly bear is now given the place of honor among 
the beasts of California as the "monarch of the Sierras." 
In the days of '49, however, the elephant was king in Cali- 
fornia. The new-comer was a "green horn" until after he 
had seen the elephant. The beast was not hard to tind. 
He ranged as often in the big towns of the valleys as in the 
mountain mining camps. He assumed all manner ofshapes 
and disguises, hiding his tusks and trunk in order to make 
sure of his mtended victims, and it was not until too late 
that the man found he had encountered that mighty beast, 
the elephant. At times he appeared as the "gentle gazelle," 
then, perhaps, as the faithful dog, "Trusty," and again as the 
stupid donkey, and the victim never once suspected the 
true character of the beast with which he had to do, until 
he found himself completely flattened out under its huge 
feet; when to his astonished gaze appeared trunk, tail and 
tusks, and he knew he nad "seen the elephant." The ele- 
phant was not a profitable beast to see. Under the pres- 
sure of hii. huge bulk, the buckskin bag of the honest miner 
was always Completely flatrened out. A single sight cf the 
elephant at ttie Bay sent many a man back to the mountains, 
when he had conndently expected to be "sailing tne salt 
seas," homeward bound. The elephant, whose haunt was 
at and about the bay, was an immense beast, and old Satan 
himself was not moie cunning. A man might for years es- 
cape the mountain elephant only to fall a victim to the 



44 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



terrible beast that ranged down at tide water. One good 
view of the elephant in any one of the many shapes he as- 
sumed generally thoroughly satisfied all sensible men, but 
there were those who, after their first introduction, became 
confirmed elephant hunters. There seemed to be a sort of 
fascination for them about the mighty beast and they were 
always following his trail. The bones of these infatuated 
men are strewn frcm the summit of the Sierras to the shores 
of the sea. In the divs. of old, a man had only to say, 'T 
have setn the elephant," to let it be known that he had 
been "through the mills" and had come out pretty thor- 
oughly pulver'zed. 



A ''HOOP UP" IN CAMP. 

(see picture tso. 7.) 

In 1849, a store-keeper in Nevada City brought up from 
Sacramento a few hooped skirts, as women were then be- 
ginning to arrive in the town. About the time the skirts 
arrived, some of the miners of the outlaying camp of Deer 
Creek came down to town after supplies. A young fellow 
of the party, who was full of fun., bought one of the skirts 
and took it up to the camp on Deer Creek. The men up 
there had not L<een a woman for so long that even a bit of 
feminine gear was a novelty to them. The young fellow 
put on his skirt and with it all manner ..f girlish airs. His 
mimicry excited shunts uf laughter and a fiddle being pro- 
cured, every man in the camp had to have a dance with 
him. The thing was so ludicrous that all hands got on a big 
spree and "hooped it up" half tne night, cheered on by the 
man behind the bar, who was raking in gold dust without 
stint, and half the time without either weight or measure. 

The next d.iy the skirt was hung outside of the cabin of 



THE FIRST BABY IX CAMP. 45 



the owner. As it dangled there in the breeze, it caught the 
sight of every man who came down from diggings higher 
up the creek. The man would stop as if shot. Having 
assured himseh' that his eyes did not deceive him, the new- 
comer would then saunter down to the saloon and, after 
having taken a "nip," would, in a careless sort of way, ask 
about the w^oman who had come to the camp. Being 
caught, he would then feel it his duty to treat all hands 
That skirt proved the best sign for the saloon-keeper that 
could possibly have been invented It brought him in many 
an ounce of good Deer Creek gold dust. 



THE LITTLE JOKER IN '49. 
(see picture no. 8.) 

Here you see one of the phases 

In the bold miner's life, 
For a love of strange adventure 

E'er in his heart was rile, 
When the prospects were not cheering 

And idle moments came, 
Ohl the thoughts of home and pleasures 

Brought thoughts of many a game. 

Who could blame those men of valor 

Who dangers great had dared, 
If in their few idle moments 

They in chance games bad shared. 
See, the little "Joker's" buoming. 

The betting's somewhat brisk. 
For the good old Forty-niner 

Would not stop at any risk^ 

Oft a rogue would show his col is 



46 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



And "beat" his comrades bad 
In a game that here is pictured 

Where the joker looks so glad. 
When such fellows were discovered 

The atmosphere grew hot, 
And did they not quickly leave the camp 

They would be hung or shot. 

Missouri Bill a feature was 

In every mining camp, 
And where "diggms" were the liveliest 

'Twas there that Bill would tramp. 
True sample of a rustic lord 

With good and honest will, 
None could ever say a word 

Against Missouri Bill. 



MINING ON THE YUBA. 

(see picture no. 9.) 

A scene like this could oft be found; 

A pocket loaded in the ground. 

Ah! "struck it rich," this phrase had grown 

In every camp to be well known. 

Right here you see, with pick in hand, 

A miner in amazement stands. 

Oh! he has struck it rich, you bet, 

While others have it yet to get. 

Big nuggets by the score are found 

Scattered quite freely o'er the ground. 

Among the rocks in outway places, 

The sharp miner gold now traces; 

Settles down with pan and rocker, 

Crying, "boys, I guess we've got her.'* 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 4:7 



This choice scene your eyes now scan, 
Might be called here, "Yuba dam," 



MAJ. DOWNIE GOING INTO DOWNIEVILLE IN '49. 

(see picture no. io.) 

Downieville, Sierra County, was, in the early days, one of 
the richest placer-mining camps in California. It is still a 
live mining town, but at the present time is more celebrated 
lor its rich veins of gold-bearing quartz and for the fine 
drift diggings in its neighborhood than for its remaining 
placers. The town was named in honor of Major Downie, 
its founder and one of its first settlers. All old miners love 
to tell of the wonders of Downieville in its palmy days. 
There were located the famous "Tin-cup" diggings, where 
the partners every evening divided their gold by measuring 
it out in a tin cup of the ordinary size. Above the town 
a short distance were the celebrated Blue Banks, a deposit 
of blue gravel that was all alive and sparkling with spangles 
of gold, and still above these diggings, in the North Fork 
of the Yuba, at the mouth of Sailor Revine, was dug out the 
biggest lump of pure gold ever found in California. It was 
a wonderful camp; there was gold everywhere. The river 
bars^were all full of gold as were all the gulches and ravmes 
and there was gold in the flats, on the hills and deep in the 
great gravel mountains, with an immense number of rich 
quartz veins. Major Downie, the pioneer of the camp, was 
a native of Cleveland, Ohio. At one time he sailed a vessel 
on Lake Erie, as captain and owner. He then went to 
Canada and established a store. Several years after he 
returned to the United States and landed at Buffalo, N. 
Y., just when news was received of the discovery of gold 



4S THE FIRST BABV 11? CaMP. 



in California. He went aboard a packet boat that very night 
and was not again seen by any one who knew him until his 
feet were planted on the golden soil of California. Two 
men who went to the theater with Major Downie the night 
he left Buffalo, and who were the persons last seen with 
him, as he lunched at a restaurant after the play, came near 
getting into serious trouble on account of his sudden disap- 
pearance, for he told no one where he was going. Luckily 
the two men were able to give a good account of themselves 
and to find friends to substantiate their statements. 

Although thousands made fortunes in the mines at Down- 
ieville, the finder of them and the founder of the town re- 
mained poor; a freak of fortune of which California affords 
hundreds of in.*tances. 



THE SPOT WHERE GOLD WAS FIRST FOUND. 

(see picture no. II.) 

Picture No. ii depicts the spot where gold was first dis- 
covered in 1848, at Sutter's sawmill, on the American river. 
Here now stands the town of Coloma. The history of the 
finding of the first gold by Marshall and his party of mill- 
builders has been so often written and is so familiar that it 
need not be here repeated. The picture shows the place 
after the discovery had been made and after Indians had 
been employed in the work of searching for the precious 
nuggets. The twin pine trees will at once be recognized by 
all who have ever visited Coloma. These two trees have 
looked down upon some exciting scenes. The first nugget 
found is now the property of the wife of Peter Wimmer, a 
millwright who was at work on the saw-mill that was being 
built by Colonel Sutter. Plenty of thin scales of gold had 
been seen before the nugget was found, but they were sup- 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 49 



posed to be scales of mica. 

Mrs. Wimmer was a Georgia woman and had often seen 
placer gold in her native State, She at once pronounced' 
the nugget gcld. To prove what she asserted and to show 
that the metal would not. tarnish, she put it into her soap 
kettle (she was making soft soap at the time) and boiled it 
for several hours. This first nugget is now in the keeping 
of a member of the Society of Pacific Coast Pioneers, at San 
Francisco, but still belongs to Mrs. Wmimer. It is about an 
inch long, is quite thin at the edges and is somewhat rough 
in places. It is worth $5.05. 

Marshall was superintending the erection of the mill and 
got the credit of finding the first gold, but the men had seen 
scales of gold shining among the gravel in the tail-race for 
two or three days before the nugget was found. There was 
talk among the men at table about the glittering scales be- 
fore Mrs. Wimmer, who kept the boarding house at the saw- 
mill, and remembering her old Georgia home, she said the 
little scales mentioned must be gold. Marshall scouted the 
idea,saying the scales were mica. He would not believe that 
the shining stuff was gold even after a piece big enough to 
betestedby Mrs. Wimmer had been found. He was ashamed 
to go down to Sutter's Fort with the bit of metal and wanted 
Wimmer to take it. Wimmer was willing to go, but at the 
last nioment could not find his horse. Marshall then offered 
his horse but Wimmer was afraid to ride it. At last Marsh- 
all consented to take the "find" to the Fort for a scientific 
test. He went, however, with many doubts and misgivings, 
fearing he would be laughed at. The specimen stood all 
tests, was pronounced genuine gold, and then began the 
boom in mining, which has not yet ended. Millions untold 
still lie in the soil and the quartz veins of California. 



50 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 

SILAS HAIGHT'S FAMOUS BEAR FIGHT. 

(see picture no. 12.) 

Cub Canyon, El Dorado county, California, received its 
name from a memorable battle had there in 1852, by Silas 
Haight, with a grizzly bear. The bear was a she one with 
two cubs. Silas was passing down the canyon, when a 
sharp bend in the trail brought him face to face with the 
old bear. A log lay across the steep and slippery trail and 
against this Silas brought up just as the bear was in the act 
of climbing it. The mother bear at once clasped Silas with 
her claws, the cubs keeping close behind her and setting up 
a hungry whine. 

Mr. Haight had a gun on his shoulders, but was engaged 
at too close quarters to use it. While he was trying to 
bring his gun to bear upon the old grizzly, she had one 
paw around his head and was cuffing and tearing at him 
with the other. Finally she pulled Silas over the log, 
when man and bear had it in regular rough-and-tumble 
fashion for a time on the ground, 

Silas had about made up his mind that the bear would 
win the fight, when a fresh outbreak of whming on the part 
of the cubs caused the mother to turn her head to look 
after them. In a moment the man was on his feet and so, 
too, was the bear. As the bear came at Silas he tried to 
raise his gun (which he had taken off the ground on getting 
up) to use it as a club, but the bear siezed it in her mouth 
and took it from him, at the same time striking him a blow 
that broke his right arm. 

Drawing his bowie knife with his left hand, Silas then 
closed in on the bear and began stabbing her. As she all 
the time kept the gun in her mouth she was unable to bite, 
but she still fought savagely with her terrible claws. At 
last Silas' long knife reached the heart of the infuriated 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 51 



beast and she fell dead. Silas was but little better than a 
dead man when he gained the victory. The bear had torn 
away one of his ears with the scalp on that side and the 
same blow had crushed m his skull and broken his jaw. 
One of his legs was also disabled, yet he managed to crawl 
a distance of two miles to where he obtained assistance and 
medical attendance. 

Contrary to the predictions of all who saw him, Silas re- 
covered from his fearful injuries and after a long time what 
was left of him was able to crawl about. He wore a large 
silver plate on his skull, and was always lame in one leg. 
Silas had his ear, a large piece of scalp and three fingers 
that had be6n bitten off his right hand in the fight, pre- 
served in alcohol. These fragments of himself he carried 
about in a bottle, as he went from camp to camp seek- 
ing assistance to take him to his old home in the East. 

Silas Haight was a native of Illinois. After his recov- 
ery, he lived the greater part of the time about Yankee 
Jim's, Todd's Valley and Michigan Bluffs, but visited ev- 
ery mining camp of note in the country, traveling about 
and exhibiting his "remains," living and dead, for over 
a year. Everywhere the compassionate and charitable gold 
diggers brought forth their buckskin sacks and poured in- 
to his hand a generous gift of dust, for his appearance and 
the "credentials" he carried in his bottle showed that he 
was no imposter. What was lacking from the man's anat- 
omy was to be seen in the bottle, and no one could doubt 
when the unfortunate was able toshow that he could recon 
struct himself from the materials on hand. In a little over 
a year, Silas received eight or ten thousand dollars, as was 
supposed. No one ever knew, as Silas was shrewd in some 
things, but before leaving for home he acknowledged that 
he had money enough to buy a good farm in Illinois, and 
to make himself comfortable for the remainder of his life. 



52 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP 



Silas never had any use of his right arm and but little use- 
of his lame leg. A curious phenomenon in his case was 
that he was always a little "flighty'' at every change of the 
moon, and a singular circumstance in connection with his 
temporary mental derangement wtis that he saw beais all 
about him. Big and little bears were coming for him from 
all quarters and were clambering, waltzing and tumbling 
all about him. His brain was not so far disordered as to 
render him violent at such times. He knew that the bears 
were mere phantoms, yet he could not prevent their com- 
ing. One-half of his brain saw the bears while the othe 
—the sound half — told him that they were mere shadows. 

When Silas had crawled down to the nearest camp after 
his victory, some men went up the canyon to the scene of 
the fight. They found the two cubs whining over their 
dead mother and licking her many wounds. The cubs 
were captured without trouble, as they were quite smalL 
These men found at the log that lay across the canyon, be- 
low it and all about, ample evidence of the terrible battle 
that had taken place at the spot; also found Haight's gun 
with the stock badly chewed up. Silas Haight's bear fight 
was the most desperate affair of the kind ever known in 
California. 



ON THE PLAINS IN "49." 

(see picture no. 14.) 

Volumes have been written descriptive of the hardships 
and perils encountered by those who crossed the plains 
during the first years of the California gold excitement. 
It is not intended here to enter into an account of what 
was endured by those early emigrants, but merely to give 
one or two incidents and facts not so widely known as the 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 53 



main story of the grand exodus. Many stories have been 
told of troubles with the Indians, but one of the most curi- 
ous is the following; On one occasion a train of seven wag- 
ons had camped together when half a dozen Indians rode 
up. They scattered themselves among the wagons and be- 
gan begging and bartering. A young man belonging to one 
of the wagons had a very handsome wife. To plague her, 
the husband pretended to an Indian that he wanted to trade 
her ofi; He said he would give her for the pony on which 
the Indian was mounted. The Indian took the offer in 
good faith and said it was a bargain. Finally, when the 
brave found he was only being fooled with and laughed at, . 
he threw his lasso and caught the young wife about the 
waist. He then gave his war-whoop and dashed off with 
her. As the woman was being dragged away, a man' 
picked up a gun and shot the Indian's pony Drawing his re- 
volver he then ran up and shot the Indian dead. On being: 
released, the woman was found to be considerably bruised, 
but her injuries were not of a serious nature. The only 
regret felt by the party was that the Indian had not lassoed 
and dragged the siJly husband. When their companion 
was killed the other Indians at once mounted their ponies 
and dashed away. For several days and nights the emi- 
grant party were in constant dread of an attack by the 
Indians, but they saw them no more. Perhaps, fiowever 
the Indians avenged themselves by muidenng some weaker 
party. 

All have heard of the hand-cart and wheel-barrow men 
who crossed the plains, but the history of the two men 
who first started out in that way is not so well known as 
they wheeled their craft no farther than Salt Lake It ap- 
pears that a year before. Brigham Young had predicted that 
Gentiles would yet be seen coming to Zion with hand-carts 
and wheelbarrows. The wheelbarrow man hadabandoned 



54 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



his craft loo miles back, and the man with the hand cart 
had given up when still forty miles from Salt Lake. City. 
The Mormons were so delighted that Brigham's prediction 
had been fulfilled, or nearly so, that they hired the two 
men to go back and bring in their vehicles. The wheel- 
barrow man was made a present of ^200 in gold when he 
came wheeling into Salt Lake, and the man of the hand 
cart received ^loo in gold coin. 

The Mormons then boasted greatly of the fulfillment of 
the words of their prophet, but the Gentiles all saw Brig- 
ham's hand in the affair. Afterward several men went all 
the way to California with both wheelbarrows and hand 
carts. 



THE HUMBOLDT DESERT. 

To all who crossed the plains in the early days, the Hum- 
boldt desert was a great terror. It is a vast, waterless 
waste of sand and alkali. No living creature makes its 
home in the Humboldt desert, nor is any green thing to be 
found within its borders. It is a region of thirst, mirages 
and whiiling pillars of sand. On this great sea of sand, in 
the early days, many emigrant families were cast away and 
hundreds of head of cattle and horses perished. It was 
the last and greatest peril to be passed before entering the 
promised golden land. The misery of it was that this burn 
ing and waterless region had to be encountered with horses 
and oxen that were exhausted by the toil and was re- 
duced to skeletons by the privations of many weary weeks 
of previous travel in the wilderness. Therefore that the 
desert came in almost at the end of the journey made it all 
the more dangerous and fatal. Hundreds of wagons were 
abandoned because of the dying of the dnimals that vainly 
strove to drag them through the hot a nd yielding sands. Many 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 55 



men as well as animals perished in this dismal desert — 
lay down and died almost in sight of the promised land. 
John R. Ridge, the Cherokee Indian chief and poet, who 
died only a few years ago at his home in Grass Valley,Califor' 
nia, has well portrayed the terrors of the Humboldt desert. 
What he wrote of, he saw as an emigrant in the "days of 
'49" and again, years after, as a prospector in the silver 
mines of Nevada. With this introduction we shall let the 
Indian poet tell the story of the Humboldt desert: — 

Who journeys o'er the desert now, 

Where sinks engulfed the Humboldt river, 

Arrested in its sudden flow, 

But pouring in that depth forever. 

As if the famished earth would drink 

Adry the tributes of the mountains, 
Yet wither on the water's brink, 

And thirst for still unnumbered fountains. 

Who journeys o'er that desert now 
Shall see strange sights, I ween., and ghastly; 

For he shall trace, awearied, slow, 
Across this waste extended vastly. 

The steps of pilgrims westward bound. 

Bound westward to the Land Pacific, 
Where hoped-for rest and peace are found, 

And plenty waves her wand prolific. 

* * * * H< * * 

No sound is heard— a realm of blight, 

Of weird-like silver and brightness 
That maketh but a gloom of light, 

Where glimmer shapes of spectral whiteness! 
They are the bones that bleaching lie 

Where fell the wearied beasts o'er-driven, 



56 ■ THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



And upward cast his dying eye 
As if in dumb appeal to heaven. 

For lenthening miles on miles that h'e, 
These sad memorials, grim and hoary, 

And every whitening heap we spy 

Doth tell some way-worn pilgrim's story. 

Hard by each skeleton there stand 
The wheels it drew, or warped or shrunken,. 

And in the drifting, yielding sand 
The yoke or rusted chain has sunken. 

Nor marvel we, if yonder peers. 

From out some scooped-out grave and shallow, 
A human head which fleshless leers 

With look that doth the place unhallow. 

* * -H- 5i< * * H: 

But pass we these grim, mouldering things, 

Decay shall claim as Time may order, 
For, offspring of the mountain springs, 

A river rims the desert border; 
With margin green and beautiful, 

And sparkling waters silver-sounding. 
And trees with zephyrs musical, 

And answering birds with songs abounding; 
And velvet flowers of thousand scents, 

And clambering vines with blossoms crested; 
'Twas here the pilgrims pitched their tents, 

And from their toilsome travail rested. 

Sad pilgrims o'er life's desert, we. 

Our tedious journey onward ever; 
But rest for us there yet shall be. 

When camped upon the Heavenly River. 



I 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 57 



THE LAST PROCESSION OF THE "ARGONAUTS." 

"Boys," said an old Pacific Coast Pioneer to half a dozen 
men of the "days of '49," as the conversation turned upon 
the old golden days of California placer mining, "boys, a 
curious thing happened me last month while I was spending 
a few days on the other side of the mountains," 

Th3se addressed as "boys" were men in whose faces "the 
inaudible and noiseless foot of Time" had left its imprint 
and whose hair had been powdered by the snows of many 
winters. Though for years residents of the Comstock, the 
memory of the old days across the mountains was fresh in 
the minds of all. 

"What happened you, Dick; did you go against faro and 
win?" said one of the "Old Boys." 

"Faro had nothing to do with it, Ben. No, this was a 
more serious matter — a thing ofsolemn character and grave 
import. It was a vision." 

"A vision!" cried two or three of the old-timers. 

"Our brother is a prophet," said old Ben, "he has visions." 

"Neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet," said the 
old man, "yet what I saw had in it something prophetic. I 
will relate what occurred and you may judge for yourselves." 

"The vision! The vision! Let us have the vision!" cried 
all piesent. 

"Well, here you have it," said the venerable Argonaut: 

"I went one day, while on the California side of the Sier- 
ras, to pay a visit to my old minmg camp in the mountains. 
While I was still on the trail leading up from the foothills 
to the great canyon in which I had mined in the old times, 
and while I was thinking of the old friends and companions 
of those days, there came before my eyes a sort of mist and 
I halted and seated myself on a moss-grown rock. At first 
it seemed a mere dimness of my eyes, but as I looked about, 
it appeared that a sort of haze had settled down upon the 



58 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



face of the earth. ■ At first I could but dimly see through 
this mist the trunks of the nearest trees, and large rocks 
at a little distance looked as unsubstantial as clouds. But 
as Igazedjthehaze took on a golden hue and became thinner 
and thinner till at last it was quite transparent. Raising my 
eyes, I saw many persons coming Indian file along a trail 
that seemed well-beaten and led down the slope of a great 
mountain. This I suppose to be a part of the Sierra Neva- 
da range. I could see far in the distance snowy peaks that 
stood sharp and glittering against a deep-blue sky. Below 
these peaks were dark belts that I know must be forests of 
pine, while nearer were rounded hills, rutted and red. 
Those descending the mountain trail formed a long, strag- 
gling procession. Seldom were two seen together. Alone 
and with earnest and thoughtful faces they walked the 
winding path. All were well advanced in years, and the 
gait of many was feeble and slow. But slow as were their 
steps, the advance of the feeble ones was uniform with that 
of the others. The ground seemed to glide beneath their 
feet and bear them on. As far as my eyes could reach 
along up the meandering trail in the direction of the dark 
pines and snowy peaks, the procession extended — away, 
away till those composing it dwindled to mere figures and 
shadows. What could be the meaning of this strange 
pilgrimage of old men from the mountains down toward 
the sea? It was an exodus solemn and awful. Who were 
these sedate venerables and whither were they plodding? 
As they silently passed along the path at the foot of the 
jutting rock on which I had found a seat, I rose and gazed 
upon their fixed and serious countenances in silent awe. 
The very marrow in my bones seemed to be congealing. It 
was as though these white-faced old men had brought dowrf 
with them the chilling atmosphere of the snowy peaks 
whence they came. At first, all the faces I saw were un- 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 59 



known to me, yet had a strangely familiar look. It occiired 
to me that if I had not seen them before I had known their 
brothers and all their kinsmen. As I thus stood and won- 
dering gazed, I saw approaching a pilgrim that I knew. I 
had lived with him in the same cabin in the olden times; 
had loved him as a brother and honored him as a man. 
Though I called him by name, he now passed me without 
turning his head. No change was seen in his countenance, 
and he seemed not to have heard my voice. His features 
were fixed and his gaze was forward. While I thus stood 
near the trail, still others appeared that I well knew. All 
were old-time miners. On, on, along the beaten trail they 
tramped. One came who had once long been my partner 
in the mountains. Far up in the high Sierras, beside banks 
of everlasting snow, we had watched by the same camp-fire 
and slept under the same blankets. Him, with confidence, 
I called by name, feeling sure that he would halt and tell 
me whither this great procession of venerable Argonauts 
was journeying— would tell me the meaning ■ of this great 
migration toward the broad ocean and the setting sun. But 
he, too, passed on in silence and with no change of expres- 
sion that told of my voice having reached his ears. On he 
moved and new and strange faces appeared and passed. 
Women,too, occasionally passed along, some alone and some 
moving side by side with aged men. The locks of the 
women were white and their faces showed the foot-prints 
of Time. All were women of. the old days. 'Can it be pos- 
sible,' said I to myself, 'that some new and golden region 
has been discovered, the fame of which has put in motion 
all these gold diggers of the olden days?' As I thus solilo- 
quized, I became aware that I had imperceptibly moved 
downward in the direction in which the procession was 
winding along, although I had not taken a step. It was as 
if the ground on which I stood had gently glided dowri- 



60 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



ward and forward; already the snowy peaks of the moun- 
tains seemed mere piles of clouds against the sky and the 
belt of pines had laded from sight. Turnmg and looking 
in the direction in which the gaze of all in the procession 
seemed fixed, I found myself standing beside a great preci- 
pice. At the brink of this vast gulf, the, trail along which 
moved the silent train, abruptly ended. All below was 
black as night, and darkness as a vapor rolled up against 
the precipice, often surging over and hiding 'As brink. 
Thus it happened that not a few pilgrims, unaware of what 
was before them, without change of gait or alteration of 
mien, strode forward and were suddenly engulfed in the 
billows of darkness,their forms dissolving and mingling with 
the mist. Others apparently saw at the last moment where 
another step would carry them and drew back in alarm as 
they felt the chill of the black mist, but soon composing 
their features to their former placidity, they boldly moved 
on and in an instant had taken the plunge into the dark, 
unfathomable abyss. Such as were still moving forward 
along the path seemed neither to observe nor heed the sud- 
den dropping off of those who had but a moment before 
been walking in advance; composedly as ever they contin- 
ued on tneir way until they in turn disappeared from sight. 
Looking back towardthe now dimly discernable mountains, 
1 saw that some in the ranks of the pilgrims occasionally 
made little excursions from the path, but always returned 
to it in a short time, though. at a lower poiiit. All their 
steps, move as they might, ever tended downward to the 
point of final departure into the gloom. I noticed that 
some in the procession, and often very aged men, carried 
on their backs bundles of blankets, or had with them 
mining tools, which did not fall from their hands until they 
took their last step and became of the mist. Shading my 
eyes with my hands, I gazed long and searchinglv toward 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 61 



the point, far away, on which the eyes of all in the proces- 
sion seemed fixed when they took the fatal plunge. Look- 
ing steadily out over a vast expanse, which seemec^ a sea — 
yet more a sea of air and silvery haze than of water— I was 
able presently to make out, dimly and at a great distance, a 
wide golden shore that seemed to lift and shimmer as do 
objects seen in a mirage. In the waving and quivering 
light that hung over this far-away shore, I caught glimpses 
of domes and spires as of a mighty city, with a glittering 
world that stretched beyond all till lost to sight in a purple 
mist. Dropping my eyes again upon the sea, I could dimly 
make out bright forms passing to and fro beyond the dark 
vapors that surged and beat along the great precipice. 
Turning again toward the trail that wound away up the face 
of the great mountain, 1 saw coming down toward the 
precipice a figure that startled me. It appeared strangely 
familiar. I said to myself; 'Here marches down another 
grizzled Argonaut to take the fatal plunge. Great was my 
awe, as the pilgrim came up, to see in him myself. It was 
just as if I had been standing before a mirror. Even as I 
gazed, I saw myself moving step by step down toward the 
brink of the precipice and the dark rolling gulf, I dropped 
upon the ground and clutcnedat a rock, shrieking in agony; 
'My God! I shall soon go over!' With this cry, the golden 
mists about me cleared away; the mountains took their 
natural form, and I saw winding lonely and rugged before 
me the unused trail that led- up the canyon to my old camp 
of the days of '49. I found myself reclining against and 
clutching the rock on which I had taken a seat when the 
yellow haze first settled down about me. For a time I 
could hardly believe 1 was still safe and my heart beat so 
violently that for some moments I could only breath in gasps. 
Now don't tell me that I fell asleep on that rock and was 
dreaming. 1 was as wide awake as I am at this moment; 
it was a vision — a vision such as poor mortals are some- 
times permitted to see." 



62 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP, 



STAGE ROBBERIES. 

Before the days of railroads, stage robberies were of very- 
frequent occurrence, both in California and Nevada. Then 
the stages carried large amounts of treasure in gold and 
silver, and the "road agents" often made great "hauls. '^ 
The stages running over the Sierras between California 
and Nevada were often halted and plundered. About the 
hrst thing the highwayman called for aifter halting a coach, 
was WellSjFargo and Co.'s treasure box. "Hand down that 
box!" was an order that many a driver was very unwillingly 
obliged to obey in those old days. The passengers were 
generally made to alight, when they were ranged in a 
row on the roadside under guard of a shot gun, to be pres- 
ently searched and stripped of their com and valuables. 
Many were the robberies of this kind that took place on 
the various roads leading out of Virginia City, Nevada, be- 
fore railroad connection was made with that place. Some- 
times the treasure box was blown open and plundered on 
the spot, but it was more frequently carried off" that its con- 
tents might be examined at leisure. We have not space in 
which to give particulars in regard to the many stage rob- 
beries that occurred in the early days, therefore select one 
that is a fair sample of all, all being much alike in their 
leading features. 

On Tnursday night, June ii, 1868, about 12 o'clock, the 
overland stage was stopped and robbed in Six-mile canyon 
at a point about five miles east of Virginia City, Nevada. 
The robbers were three in number, were armed with 
double-barreled shot-guns, and were completely masked by 
white cloths tied over their faces. There were six passen- 
gers aboard, four gentlemen and two ladies. All these 
were plundered of their money and such other valuables as 
the robbers discovered. 

The robbery occurred just below the Sugar-loaf moun- 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP, ' 63 



tain, near a bridge across the canyon, in Flowery mining 
district.The robbers were lying in wait for the stage, and the 
first the passengers knew of the matter was when the team 
which was moving at a slow pace, came to a halt and the 
barrel of a shot gun was thrust in at each of the doors uf 
the coach. One of the robbers stood at the heads of the 
lead horses with his gun leveled on the driver, who was or- 
dered down from his seat. The driver was "Baldy" Green, 
whose record as a victim of "hold-ups" has already been 
referred to in these pages, 

"Get out, you folks inside!" said one of the robbers as he 
thrust the muzzle of his gun into the coach. 

"What is the matter?" innocently mquired a passenger 
who had not noticed the gun. 

"Get out! Get out of there, I tellyou, and damned quick, 
or you'll find out what's the matter in a way you won't 
like!" cried the robber. 

The barrels of the two shot guns glittering in the light of 
the stage lamps were powerful persuaders and all made 
haste to obey the robber's order. As soon as the passen- 
gers were out and ranged in line, the man who did the 
talking, and who appeared to be the leader of the gang, 
hastily searched the men for arms and then more at leisure 
"went through" the whole party for money and valuables. 

Most of the passengers were old residents of the Pacific 
Coast and were sufficiently well informed in regard to the 
etiquette of such occasions to be able to conduct them- 
selves with a degree of propriety satisfactory to the road 
agents. All in the coach perfectly comprehended the situ- 
ation the moment they saw the barrels of the guns and hav- 
ing litle fear of their lives were able to give all their thoughts 
to the preservation of their property. The passengers 
aboard were David B, McGee and his wife, of one of the 
valley towns of California; Antoine Aguago, also of Califor- 



64 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



nia; Miss Susan Hodgen, of the Comstock; Barney Dough- 
erty, an empleye of the stage company; and Dr. C. W. Heath, 
then a practicing physician of Virginia City, now dead. Of 
My. iMcGee the robbers took $S. in coin and a common sil- 
ver watch, but not liking the looks of the watch, they re- 
turned it. From Dr. Heath they took $300. and a gold 
watch worth Jj53oo.; of Antoine Aguago, ^^325. and a fine 
chronometer valued at $250.; while "Baldy" Green was re- 
lieved of about |io. Of the ladies they got nothing. Mrs. 
McGee had I900- concealed in the bosom of her dress, but 
she was only superficially searched and the money was not 
discovered. Miss Hogden had a gold watch and some 
money but was not searched. Barney Dougherty, a hostler 
who had for some time been employed on the stage route, 
had 5200. in gold m a buckskin purse which he cunningly 
managed to slip down the back of his neck while clumsily 
getting out of the coach. The purse was not discovered by 
the robbers, who, finding six bits in silver in his pockets, 
took him for a poor, impecunious fellow and passed him by 
without much ceremony. Dr. Heath tried to slip his watch, 
which he greatly prized, into his boot, but was detected in 
the act and the watch confiscated, smuggling not being tol- 
erated. Antoine Aguago had in a pocket book a check for 
$3,000 and managed, before getting out of the coach, to 
slip the book under a cushion where it was overlooked by 
the robbers. When they had secured the money and val- 
uables of the passengers, the "road agents" threw the 
mails and baggage out upon the ground, and, retainmg 
three bags of bullion, two of them drove the coach up the 
canyon. The mails and baggage were not rifled. The 
third robber, who seemed leader of the gang, now ordered 
all the passengers to take up their march to a ravine in the 
vicinity, telling the driver to pick up his whip and carry it 
with him. On arriving at the ravine the passengers were 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMF. 65 



formed in line and told to keep a few feet apart. This was 
to prevent them from talking and plotting together without 
being overheard. When all were in line they were ordered 
to march up the revine, the "boss" robber walking behind 
with his shotgun ready to preserve order in the ranks. In 
this order they were marched up the ravine a distance of 
over half a mile, when they were halted and seated to- 
gether in a row. The robber kept guard over them with 
his gun in an alert and able-bodied manner until after i 
o'clock in the morning. He was a man of stalwart form 
and his prisoners guessed his weight to be about 165 pounds. 
A solid man to tackle, yet Aguago, who was a powerful 
man, was for attacking him. He was in favor of making a 
rush on the guard who at times stood silently before his 
prisoners, then at times patroled before them. It was the 
plan of Aguago to rush upon the robber with rocks as he 
turned in his promedade, knock him down and take possess- 
ion of his gun. He whispered his plan to Mr. McGee, who 
sat next to him, but that gentleman refused, on account of 
the presence of his wife, to take any desperate chances. 
Finally the robber took out his watch, looked at the time 
and then told his prisoners that they should all remain 
quietly seated as they were for twenty-five minutes, when 
he would come for them with the coach. He impressed it 
upon them that they were on no account to move until he 
came for them, and told them that if any of them came 
down to the mouth of the ravine they would find some of 
his men ready to attend to their cases. He then marched 
ofif. After waiting half an hour the passengers started down 
the ravine to the road. When the road was reached, Mr. 
McGee went to the Lady Bryan mill, procured a horse 
and hastening up the canyon to Virginia City gave the 
alarm, the remainder of the passengers following on foot. 
About two miles up the canyon from where the stage was 



66 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



Stopped, coach and team were found — the horses being tied 
to some bushes by the roadside. At this point the two 
robbers who drove off with the coach had finished their 
part of the work by breaking open the treasure box and 
robbing it of its contents. They got but $169, four small 
packages of coin, and overlooked several packages that 
were in the express pocket book. The three bars of silver 
bullion were worth 13,584.06. Mr. Latham, of Wells, Fargo 
& Co.'s express, with several others, went to the scene of 
the robbery in the morning about daylight, and after a long 
search succeeded in finding two of the stolen bars in the 
sage-brush only a short distance from the road. The third 
bar was not found. 

This robbery, and several others it was afterwards dis- 
covered, was the work of the Jack Davis gang, of Flowery 
district. They were arrested for this robbery, but it could 
not be brought home to them. Long afterwards they were 
arrested for a stage robbery on the Geiger Grade, convicted 
and sent to the State prison. A fine gold watch taken from 
Judge Richard Rising at the time of the Geiger Grade rob- 
bery, and found in Jack Davis' cabin, cunningly concealed 
in the ornamental mouldings of a desk, fastened that affair 
upon Jack. Soon the whole business was given away, 
when it was found that Jack and his partners had leased a 
quartz mill and pretended to be working the ore of a 
mine, their usual business being to work up into saleable 
shape the silver bars captured in their night raids on the 
stages. 

FASTEST PONY EXPRESS TIME. 

The best time made between Reno and Virginia with 
ponies and riders was 61 minutes for the Pacific Express and 
58 minutes for Wells, Fargo & Co. Ten changes of ponies 
was made between the two points. This was in 1869 on an 



THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP. ^'^ 



occasion when a job had been put up by J. W. Hemenway, 
the well-known blacksmith, and several other sportive gen- 
tlemen to have the Pacific pony beat Wells, Fargo & Co. 
The conspiritors had quietly got all the fastest nags they 
could find in that part ofthe State and shipped them into 
the line of the Pacific Express ponies. When this was ac- 
complished, they were willing to bet five to one on their 
favorite coming in ahead. They took all the bets they could 
get, putting up every cent they had or could raise on the 
proposition. This little game had leaked out and prompt 
' measures were taken to checkmate it. W. P. Bennett, the 
efficient superintendmg manager of Wells, Fargo &. Co.'s 
horse department, was equal to the occasion and prepared 
for their fast nags. Mr. Latham, the chief agent of Wells, 
Fargo & Co.'s Virginia office had said "Mr. Bennett, I've 
got I500 bet on this race and I want you to beat those 
fellows." 

All right," confidently responded Mr. Bennett. "They've 
got to make it in 58 minutes or I'll beat 'em," and beat 
them he did. The fast nags wrung into the Pacific line by 
the Hemenway crowd were swift enough on good ground, 
but not particularly experienced in up-hill traveling. Ben- 
nett went among the stage teams and picked out some of 
the best and fastest horses, putting them on the road as 
ponies. Commencing at the foot of the Geiger Grade, he 
strung these long-winded stage horses all the way up and 
across the mountain road to Virginia City— they were what 
carried the day. The Pacific fast nags weakened when 
urged up the steep grade, but the lively old stage horses 
galloped right along up without any trouble. On the occa- 
sion ofthe race, the most noted of many, Bennett, himself, 
rode from Steamboat creek to the Six-Mile House at the 
Summit of the Geiger Grade, and Archie Morris rode into 
Wells, Fargo & Co.'s office at Virginia. George Gray took 



68 THE FIRST BABY IN CAMP 



the first heat out of Reno, there being four riders in the en- 
tire distance. Previous to this famous race, there had been 
much heavy betting on the ponies, all the sports becoming 
interested; but this ended it, so far as they were concerned. 

About four weeks later, in '69, there was a great race be- 
tween the stages of the rival companies. In this race Billy 
Hodges drove for Wells, Fargo & Co. and Charley Carroll 
for the Pacific Expess Co. Hodges drove six horses and 
Carroll drove four. Carroll got the lead at Reno and kept 
it as far as Huffaker's Station. Hodge then got in ahead, 
and kept the foot of the Geiger Grade when Carroll cut in 
ahead and kept ahead till he reached the Ophir 
House, on the Grade, There Hodge got in ahead 
again, and from there the coaches kept close together.. 
When they struck the north end of C Street, there was 
room enough, Carroll pulled up alongside of Hodge, but 
found it impossible to pass him, so evenly were the two. 
teams matched as regards speed and strength. The two 
stages drove into the city side by side amid the shouts and. 
cheers of thousands of excited spectators who thronged, 
the sidewalks, filled the balconies and covered the house- 
tops. Time, 1:32. Distance, 22 miles. 

Colonel Avery, the well-known mining and mill superin- 
tendent, was at Reno, where the stages started on the 
aforesaid race. He had a fine light buggy and a pair of 
horses that he thought the finest and best on the Com- 
stock. The Colonel rashly remarked that he would beat 
the two racing stages into Virgmia or kill his. 
horses. He followed the stages till near the White House, 
half way up the grade, when his horses were so fatigued 
as to be ready to drop, stopping and refusing to move. The 
Colonel very sensibly came to the conclusion that if he 
urged his good animals further as he had done, then death 
would be the result, therefore gave them the much needed 
rest, and traveled the remainder of the distance at a leis- 
urely style of gait,getting through an hour and a half behind 
the stage. 



,pYRIflft^^jS>y __,_„__ ^ ^^ ^^^..^.^^ 



iM 13 1C93 

FIRST BABY IN CAMP. 



A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE SCENES AND AD- 
VENTURES DURING THE PIONEER 
DAYS OF '19. 



(iEORCE FRANCIS TRAIN. — SIAGING IN EARLY DAYS.— 

A MAD, WILD RIDE. — THE PONY EXPRESS. — 

SOME OF THE OLD TIME DRIVERS. 

By Wm. p. BENNETT, Author of "The Sky-Sifter." 

The fastest time made in Nevada by Stage, Pony Ex- 
press or Buckboard, 22 miles in 58 minutes. 

(Picture 22x28 accompanies this book.) 

THE RANCHER PUBLISHING CO., 

Salt Lake City, Utah. 
1893. 
















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